Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport

lord grade of yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been given assurances that the £14 billion proposed costs for the Heathrow Airport expansion cover the full capacity increase to 130 million passengers per year.

lord grade of yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publisha breakdown of the costs of Heathrow Airport expansion.

baroness sugg: The Government is clear that the Northwest Runway scheme at Heathrow will be financed by the private sector without Government support. Heathrow is a regulated airport and as such any plans for expansion, including expenditure, are subject to scrutiny from both its airline customers and the regulator with updates expected as appropriate. Ahead of the decision to designate the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) the Government and its independent expert advisors concluded that, so far as can be assessed at this early stage of the process, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) is able to privately finance expansion without Government support. The Airports NPS is clear that it requires a scheme that must be “capable of delivering additional capacity of at least 260,000 air transport movements per annum” – and it is for an applicant to demonstrate how the phasing of any scheme would deliver this capacity increase in its Development Consent Order application.

Heathrow Airport

lord grade of yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking to ensure that (1) the costs of Heathrow Airport expansion do not rise above £14 billion, and (2) that airlines, passengers and taxpayers will not cover any extra amount should costs rise above that level.

baroness sugg: The Government is clear that the Northwest Runway scheme at Heathrow will be financed by the private sector. Ahead of the decision to designate the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) the Government and its independent expert advisors concluded that, so far as can be assessed at this early stage of the process, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) is able to privately finance expansion without Government support. The Secretary of State for Transport set out a clear ambition in 2016 for airport charges to remain as close as possible to current levels in real terms. The Secretary of State has re-commissioned the CAA to oversee, and report on, how well Heathrow Airport Limited is engaging with the airline community on its plans for expansion with the objective of achieving value for money for the consumer. This follows on from a previous commission during which Heathrow announced the identification of potential costs savings of up to £2.5bn. Ultimately, the CAA will determine the level of airport charges in lines with its primary duty to further the interests of consumers (passengers and freight operators). In its most recent consultation the CAA noted that there are “credible scenarios in which capacity expansion can be delivered affordably and financeably, with airport charges per passenger remaining close to current levels in real terms and line with the ambition expressed by the SoS [Secretary of State] on these matters in 2016”.

Heathrow Airport

lord grade of yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what process will be used to determine who will be the developer and operator of the new terminal at Heathrow Airport.

baroness sugg: The Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) does not identify any statutory undertaker as the appropriate person or appropriate persons to carry out the preferred scheme. Any prospective developer would need to submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application in line with the Airports NPS. Any application for a DCO will be considered carefully and with an open mind based on the evidence provided, through a public examination by the independent Planning Inspectorate, before any final decision is made. The CAA has recently published a technical note outlining its approach to dealing with licensing issues raised by potential new developers of expansion at Heathrow.

Heathrow Airport

lord grade of yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which competition between existing and new terminal facilities at Heathrow Airportmight be beneficial to airlines and passengers.

baroness sugg: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the independent regulator, will consider the benefits of competition at Heathrow Airport. It has already explained the importance of considering alternative commercial and delivery arrangements for the provision of new capacity and has recently published a technical note on this subject in the context of expansion. Government continues to encourage all potential promoters to engage with all relevant stakeholders on proposals that will facilitate the efficient and timely delivery of new capacity at Heathrow Airport.

Leader of the House of Lords

Home Office: Written Questions

lord jopling: To ask the Leader of the House what explanations she has received from the Home Office about that Department's failure to answer within 10 working days three questions for written answer (HL9827, HL9860 and HL9890) which were tabled on 24 July.

baroness evans of bowes park: As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs). In this instance I am informed that the Home Office is working towards an appropriate response, noting that this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings. I have been assured by the Department that an answer will be provided as soon as possible. In the meantime, I know that the Home Office has been in touch with the relevant members of the House to apologise and to provide an explanation for the delay. My office will continue to work with all departments to ensure prompt and satisfactory answers to all QWAs.

Home Office: Written Questions

lord jopling: To ask the Leader of the House what steps she has taken to draw the failure of the Home Office to answer within 10 working days three questions for written answer which were tabled on 24 July (HL9827, HL9860 and HL9890) to the attention of Home Office ministers.

baroness evans of bowes park: As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs). I have raised the outstanding answers with the Minister of State for Counter Extremism and understand that members concerned have been contacted by the Home Office to apologise for the delay and to provide an explanation as to why these answers have not yet been provided. I know that the Minister will answer the questions as soon as is possible. My office will continue to work with all departments to ensure prompt and satisfactory answers to all QWAs.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Families

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Attorney General’s Office policies have been assessed against theFamilyTest; and whether they will publish any such assessments.

lord keen of elie: The government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Minsters. There is no requirement for departments to publish the results of assessments made under the Family Test.The Attorney General’s Office does not develop its own policy nor has responsibility for any Government policies. As such the department has not had to consider the guidance but would do so if appropriate.

Department for International Development

USA: UNRWA

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States following the announcement that the US government will no longer fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency; and whether they intend to continue to provide funding to that Agency.

lord bates: The UK remains unequivocally committed to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The US has consistently been UNRWA’s single largest donor. When the US announced their intention to withhold a planned disbursement to UNRWA in January, we were sympathetic to their concerns over the need for a broader donor base for UNRWA, but made clear to them that we did not consider a sudden cut in planned funding was the right way to address this. My officials and I continue to raise this with our US counterparts.

Palestinians: Schools

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the schools for Palestinian children operated by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees can continue their work throughout the coming academic year.

lord bates: The UK is committed to ensuring that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) continues to deliver a high-quality education to over 500,000 children across the region. The UK has announced £17 million of funding over the past four months, in addition to our original budget of £28.5 million, to protect UNRWA’s vital services, including education. We continue to work with international partners to help unlock further funding for UNRWA.

Ross Fund

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 7 December 2017 (HL3634), how much of the Ross Fund has now been (1) allocated, and (2) disbursed.

lord bates: The Ross Fund is a portfolio of programmes, identified in the UK Aid Strategy, led by either DFID or Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), aimed at combatting the world's most serious diseases. DFID was allocated £547m and DHSC £461m from the Ross Fund Portfolio. To date DFID has (1) allocated £509m and (2) disbursed £161m to end of financial year 2017/18. DHSC has (1) allocated £395m and (2) disbursed £62.1m to end of financial year 2017/18. Details for the current financial year will be available after March 2019.

Developing Countries: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much DfID spent directly targeting reproductive health under the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee codes (1) 13010, (2) 13021, (3) 13022, (4) 13030, and (5) 13081 in the financial years (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: DFID spent the following directly targeting reproductive health under the OECD Development codes 13010; 13021; 13022; 13030 and 13081:2015/16: £313.705M2016/17: £307.197MThis data does not capture spend on our substantial multilateral contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNFPA, WHO, Unitaid and UNAIDS.Data for all sector codes and spend are available on the Statistics for International Development website. Figures for the 2017/18 will be released early in 2019.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much DfID spent directly targeting HIV and AIDS under the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee codes (1) 13041, and (2) 13042 in the financial years (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: DFID spent the following directly targeting HIV and AIDS under the two OECD Development codes 13041 and 13042:2015/16 = £27.159M2016/17 = £27.143MThis data does not capture spend on related programming that complements our wider work on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights including research and health systems strengthening.Data for all sector codes and spend are available on the Statistics for International Development website. Figures for the 2017/18 will be released early in 2019.

Developing Countries: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of DfID’s total overseas development aid was spent on sexual and reproductive health and rights in (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: Based on internationally agreed methodology, DFID spent 10.7% in 2015-16 and 9.49% in 2016-17 of its overseas development aid on sexual reproductive health and rights.Figures for 2017-18 are not yet available.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they provided to UNAIDS in (1) core, and (2) non-core funding in (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: All funding to UNAIDS in the periods requested have been core-funding as follows:2015/16: £15 million in core funding2016/17: £15 million in core funding2017/18: £15 million in core funding

Iraq: Yazidis

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much humanitarian assistance they have given to the Yazidis in northern Iraq in each year since 2014; and what form this assistance takes within the current UK humanitarian programme in Iraq.

lord bates: DFID has committed £237.5m in humanitarian support to Iraq since 2014, including £20 million this financial year. This support is provided on the basis of need, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity, and in line with international humanitarian principles; it is not possible to provide figures on assistance specifically provided to Yezidis or other religious groups. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, the UN, humanitarian partners and minority representatives to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in the greatest need.

UN Population Fund: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they made, if any, to the (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding of the UN Population Fund in (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: Her Majesty’s Governments core and non core funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in a) 2015/16, b) 2016/17 and c) 2017/18 can be found in the table below. Core   Non-core   201520162017 201520162017UNFPA202020 94.787.5110.9 These figures were taken from ‘Statistics on International Development, table A8’. The figures for 2017 are provisional DFID figures. Final figures for HMG will be released on Statistics on International Development which is due out in November this year.

International Planned Parenthood Federation: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they made, if any, to the (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding of theInternational Planned Parenthood Federationin (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: I can confirm the International Planned Parenthood Federation received direct central funding from the Department of International Development, to the amount of £8.6m in 2015-16, £6.45m in 2016-17 and no further funds in 2017-18.

World Health Organisation: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they made, if any, to the (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding of theWorld Health Organisationin (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: Contributions are as follows:Year* Core (£millions)Non – core (£ millions)15/16 33.48117.6416/17 29.80130.7917/1829.80130.79*WHO operates on a biennium financing cycle. Figures above are based on WHO biennium year 14 -15 and 16-17. Contributions are split into two separate years in response to this PQ. For example. UK total core contribution to the WHO biennium of 2014- end 2015 was approx. £66.96m but has been divided in two to show our approximate contribution for 2015.UK core contribution also includes our Assessed contributions: 15/16 -£18.62m; 16/17 - £17.33m and 17/18 - £17.33m.The UK contribution includes support to Polio Eradication amongst other health areas.

UN Women: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they made, if any, to the (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding of UN Women in (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: Her Majesty’s Governments core and non-core funding to UN Women in a) 2015/16, b) 2016/17 and c) 2017/18 can be found in the table below. Core   Non-core   201520162017 201520162017UN Women12.512.512.5 4.28.36.2These figures were taken from ‘Statistics on International Development, table A8’. The figures for 2017 are provisional DFID figures. Final figures for HMG will be released on Statistics on International Development which is due out in November this year.

UNICEF: Finance

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they made, if any, to the (1) core, and (2) non-core, funding of UNICEF in (a) 2015–16, (b) 2016–17, and (c) 2017–18.

lord bates: Her Majesty’s Governments core and non-core funding to UNICEF in a) 2015/16, b) 2016/17 and c) 2017/18 can be found at the table below.  Core   Non-core   201520162017 201520162017UNICEF484848 287.6354383.2 These figures were taken from ‘Statistics on International Development, table A8’. The figures for 2017 are provisional DFID figures. Final figures for HMG will be released on Statistics on International Development which is due out in November this year.

Department for Education

Students: Loans

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide assistance to students paying over six per cent in interest on theirtuition fees and maintenance loans.

viscount younger of leckie: The system of variable interest rates based on income is progressive, and ensures that higher earners make a fair contribution to the sustainability of the higher education system. Student loan interest rates vary with income. Only borrowers earning over £45,000 and those in study pay the maximum interest rate of 6.3% and many will be charged less than this. The system of variable interest rates help ensure that the highest earners make a higher total contribution than those on lower incomes. Reducing interest rates would benefit high earners only. That is why the government has increased the repayment threshold from tax year 2018-19 and will increase the repayment threshold again in April 2019, reducing monthly repayments for all borrowers earning above £25,000. We believe that it is right that students should contribute to the cost of their higher education and that this contribution should be linked to their income. This means that those who have benefited the most from their education repay their fair share.

Grafton College of Management Sciences: Standards

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Educationin June on Grafton College of Management Sciences.

viscount younger of leckie: The department considered the published report from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education on Grafton College of Management Sciences Limited, alongside other investigation reports and outcomes, to assess compliance with the department’s ‘Specific Course Designation Guidance: Policy and Guidance for Alternative Providers of Higher Education’ (published in July 2017). The department took action in line with this published guidance to protect public funds. Grafton College of Management Sciences is no longer designated for student support purposes.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Asylum

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied and separated children seeking asylum have accessed exceptional case funding for legal aid in each year since 2012.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum who have applied for exceptional case funding for legal aid since 2012 have been successful.

lord keen of elie: (HL10008) A total of 57 Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) Immigration cases have been granted to applicants under the age of 18 who were described as ‘unaccompanied or separated’ children. (HL10101) This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bicycles

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prohibition of visitors bringing their folding bikes into the DEFRA office at 2 Marsham Street in London; and whether that prohibition is compatible with the aims of that Department’s environmental policies.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra is a tenant at 2 Marsham Street, with the Home Office (Defra’s Landlord) occupying the majority of the site. Defra follows the security protocols set by the Home Office.   For folding bikes the following protocols apply across the whole building:   Full building pass holders can bring folding bikes into the office but most enter via the car park and leave bikes at the bike racks. VIPs are permitted to enter the office space with a folding bike. Pre-booked visitors are requested to take their bike to the car park entrance where it can be left in a secure sheltered area (visitor bike racks are provided). Unannounced visitors are required to contact their host/sponsor to vouch for them and book them in on arrival so that they can leave their bike at the car park entrance. Folding bikes cannot be processed through the security scanners at the Marsham Street reception.

Origin Marking

lord mcnicol of west kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect products that benefit from protected geographical or traditional status under EU legislation.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government recognises the economic and cultural importance of UK geographical indications (GIs). We are working with the Devolved Administrations and stakeholders to develop new UK GI schemes for when we leave the EU. We will use the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to ensure that GI schemes are in place on day one of leaving the EU for wines, aromatised wines, spirit drinks, agricultural products and foodstuffs. This will provide UK protection for UK GIs when we leave the EU and ensure that the UK fulfils its obligations under World Trade Organisation Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights rules. The protection of UK GIs in the EU and EU GIs in the UK is subject to ongoing negotiations. We anticipate that all current UK GIs will continue to be protected by the EU’s GI schemes after we leave the EU.

Home Office

White Helmets: Syria

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether members of the White Helmets and their families evacuated from Syria vis Israel have arrived in the UK.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government where in the UK members of the White Helmets group evacuated from Syria via Israel (1) have been, and (2) will be settled.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the White Helmets group and their families evacuated from Syria via Israel are now in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Together with international partners, the UK is working to resettle members of the White Helmets and their families. Any resettlement to the UK will be in line with the established UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) process for identifying and resettling the most vulnerable refugees. Our prime concern for those coming to the UK under our resettlement schemes is their safety and protection as they arrive in this country. We believe that one way to protect their privacy and support their recovery and integration is to limit the amount of information about them that we make publicly available.Notwithstanding this the Home Office is committed to publishing data on arrivals in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Human Trafficking

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will issue new guidance following the case of PK(Ghana) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWCA Civ 98.

baroness williams of trafford: Following the judgment in PK(Ghana) officials were instructed to temporarily defer most decisions on whether to grant discretionary leave to remain to trafficking victims. This was to enable new guidance to be prepared that would take account of the findings of the Court.Grants of discretionary leave continued to be made if it was found that a grant was necessary to enable a trafficking victim to seek compensation through the courts or to assist the police with a criminal investigation or prosecution. Victims also continued to be granted leave if they qualified for refugee status or under other provisions in the Immigration Rules.The new guidance was published on 8 August 2018 and normal decision making has therefore resumed. The guidance is available on the GOV.UK web-pages at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/732594/dl-for-victims-of-modern-slavery-v1.0ext.pdf



dl - for victims of Modern Slavery 
(PDF Document, 443.88 KB)

Immigrants: Detainees

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in the UK had one or both parents placed in immigration detention in each calendar year since 2010; what were the ages of those children; for what period were they separated from one or both parents; and if such records are not kept, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and (2) refugees of all ages, with close family members in the UK have so far been identified by UKimmigration liaison officers sent to France, Italy and Greece; and how many have reached the UK as a result.

baroness williams of trafford: The role of the UK liaison officers is to facilitate good working co-operation between EU Member States, including Italy, France and Greece, on asylum and immigration matters with the UK. Liaison officers are not involved in identifying children under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, as it is a matter for our partner states to refer children who meet the criteria and where it is in their best interests to transfer to the UK. Liaison officers are not involved in the identification of applicants with qualifying family members either as this is also a matter for the competent national authorities of Dublin states.On 30 November, the Government published data on the numbers of children transferred to the UK from the Calais camp clearance under both the Dublin III Regulation and section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. The data can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfers-of-children-to-the-uk-from-the-calais-operation-november-2017On 22 February 2018, the Home Office published data on the number of transfers into the UK from other Dublin states. The relevant statistics can be found at as_22_q, asylum volume 5 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables. 2018 Dublin data will be published in February 2019.We remain fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and are working very closely with participating States, to deliver the scheme in line with their national laws. Over 220 children are already in the UK and transfers are ongoing. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details once all children are in the UK.



Table - as_22-q Asylum Vol 5
(Excel SpreadSheet, 142.25 KB)




Table - Transfers of Children to the UK-Calais op[
(Excel SpreadSheet, 308.1 KB)

Asylum: Sri Lanka

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Sri Lankans (1) applied for asylum, and (2) had applications approved in each year since 2008, broken down by ethnicity.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the number of applications and initial decisions, broken down by nationality, in table as_01_q (volume 1 of the asylum tables) in the quarterly Immigration Statistics publication. The latest figures, up until June 2018, are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018Data on ethnicity are not available.Table 1: Asylum applications, initial decision, and grants on asylum applications from Sri Lankan nationals, 2008 to June 2018YearTotal applications  Total initial decisions  Total grants 20081,47387420620091,1151,25119020101,3571,61222820111,7561,60432320121,7441,38433320131,8111,28726220141,2921,21715720159611,5371792016845731442017690645492018 (Jan-Jun)261302221. Grants include grants of asylum, discretionary leave, humanitarian protection, and grants under family and private life rules.2. Decisions made in a given year does not necessarily relate to the number of applications in the same year. Applications are based on the date of application and decisions are based on the date of initial decision.3. Data include main applicants only.4. Data for 2018 include 6 months of data only (Jan-Jun). This is the latest period that is publically available.



Table as_01_q (Vol 1 - Asylum Table) 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 10.15 KB)

Immigration: Sri Lanka

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many immigration applications from Sri Lankan nationals were granted in each year from 2008, broken down by ethnicity.

baroness williams of trafford: Unfortunately, the Department does not record this information in such a way as to allow us to report on the estimated number of immigration applications from Sri Lankan nationals in each year from 2008, broken down by ethnicity and this data could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: English Language

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to asylum seekers aged 19 or older who are eligible for a 50 per cent contribution to the costs of English language classes through the adult education budget about where they can obtain funding for the remaining 50 per cent.

baroness williams of trafford: Home Office policy is not to provide asylum seekers with publicly funded English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. They may access courses on a fee-paying basis. Asylum claimants awaiting a decision for over six months are eligible for a 50% contribution to the cost of ESOL courses through the Adult Education Budget. We also know that many ESOL providers use their discretion to set lower fees.Those granted refugee status by the Home Office and in receipt of certain work-related benefits are eligible for fully funded ESOL courses.We encourage asylum claimants (adults and dependants of an adult asylum seeker) to contact the Asylum Help helpline for free and independent advice (telephone: 0808 8000 630, https://www.gov.uk/asylum-helplines).

Commission for Countering Extremism

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the (1) work programme, (2) remit, and (3) terms of reference, of any studies by the Commission for Countering-Extremism.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government published a Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS527) and Charter for the Commission for Countering Extremism on gov.uk in March 2018. They confirm the Commission’s purpose, remit, accountabilities, and early outputs. In its first year the Commission will:engage widely and openly on extremism and our core, shared values across the public sector, communities, civil society, families and legal and academic experts;publish a study into the threat we face from extremism and the current response; and,advise ministers on the Commission’s future structures, work programme and the appointment of further commissioners.This advice is expected in March 2019.The Charter also confirms that the Commission is a transparent organisation operating independently from Government. The Commission will determine the content of its reports, the recommendations it makes to Government and its public statements, including the timing of these, independently.The detail of when the Commission will publish the terms of reference for its study is a matter for the Commission but we understand it will be published shortly.

Madeleine McCann

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 2 May (HL7044), whether any request had been made by the Metropolitan Police Service to extend the funding for Operation Grange beyond the end of September 2018; and if so, by how much, over what further period, and for what purpose; and what has been the total spent on Operation Grange to date.

baroness williams of trafford: To date no request has been received from the Metropolitan Police Service to extend funding for Operation Grange beyond the end of September 2018. The total cost of Operation Grange is, to date, £11.6m.

Missing Persons: Children

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any funding requests other than Operation Grange have been received from the Metropolitan Police Service in the last year relating to the search for missing children; and if so, how much funding has been made available.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has not received any other Special Grant requests from the Metropolitan Police Service relating to the search for missing children.

Greater Manchester Police

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) police officers, and (2) police community support officers, were employed in Greater Manchester in each of the last ten years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers, and Police Community Support officers (PCSOs) employed by each Police Force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical publication.Data on the number of police officers, police staff and PCSOs in Greater Manchester, as at 31 March each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in the accompanying Open Data Table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods



Open Data Table - Police Workforce 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 657.1 KB)

Home Office: Families

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Home Office policies have been assessed against theFamilyTest; and whether they will publishany such assessments.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office applies the Family Test, if appropriate and proportionate, to new policies and legislation that might have an impact on the family, to ensure strong and stable family relationships are supported, not undermined. The Government's guidance on the family test is available on Gov.uk.

Offensive Weapons: Crime

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofany correlation between the reductions in youth services provisionand police numbers and the levels of gun and knife crime in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: On 9 April 2018, the Government published a new Serious Violence Strategy to take action to address serious violence and in particular the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The strategy outlines an ambitious programme and is based on evidence about the trends and drivers of serious violence and analysis of what works in terms of interventions. Our analysis clearly points to a range of factors driving increases in serious violence including improvements in police recording, but changes in the drugs market is a key driver of recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide.Our multi agency approach means that the strategy is not solely focused on law enforcement, but depends also on partnerships across a number of sectors such as education, health, social services, housing, youth services, victim services and others. In particular, the strategy stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes of serious violence and provide young people with the skills and resilience to lead productive lives free from violence.The Strategy sets out 61 commitments including:A new Early Intervention Youth Fund, this has been doubled from £11 million to £22 million and was launched by the Home Secretary on 30 July.A new round of the (anti-knife crime) Community Fund in 2018/19. Due to the number and quality of bids submitted, and as part of the Government’s commitment to early intervention and prevention to tackle serious violence, the funding available has been increased from £1 million to over £1.5 million. We announced the successful 68 bids on 2 August.A new £3.6m National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to tackle violent and exploitative criminal activity associated with county lines.A new Offensive Weapons Bill to strengthen legislation on firearms, knives and corrosive substances.We have also established a Serious Violence Taskforce, chaired by the Home Secretary, to oversee delivery of the strategy and this group has met three times since April.

Asylum: Compensation

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan tocompensate the 17 people who received decisions from the Home Office last year on asylum claims that they had submitted more than 15 years ago.

baroness williams of trafford: In response to a recent Freedom of Information request, the Home Office provided figures which noted that, in 2017, 17 decisions were made on claims for asylum that had been submitted more than 15 years ago.In the majority of these cases, whilst the Home Office database that registered the original claim for asylum was updated with a new outcome in 2017, the Home Office had also made an earlier decision on the asylum claim. For example, several of the entries made in 2017 were to update records where it had been identified that an individual had voluntarily left the United Kingdom at an earlier date. In other instances, new decisions were made on cases where individuals had previously lost contact with the Home Office.UK Visas and Immigration has a formal complaints procedure for customers who are unhappy with the service that it provides. Under this procedure ex-gratia payments may be made in cases where it is found that maladministration has occurred.

Passports: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to take any action tocompensate those British-born children of EU citizenssettled in the UK who were turned down for passports following an administrative error.

baroness williams of trafford: Passport applications for these children may require additional information to confirm their eligibility, or registration as a British citizen, before a passport can be issued. The applications remain open while these processes are followed.There is no charge for registration in these cases and no specific compensation scheme. HM Passport Office compensation policy is detailed on www.Gov.uk

Asylum: Yemen

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of asylum decisions concerning people from Yementhat have been overturned on appeal.

baroness williams of trafford: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information.Appeals are allowed for a variety of reasons, often because of new evidence presented before the tribunal which was not available to the decision maker at the time.However, all allowed appeals are reviewed to understand where there are opportunities to further improve guidance and training.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recently announced scheme to make 2,500 agricultural visas available to non-EU workers will be sufficient to solve the labour shortage in the sector; and what is their long-term strategy to deal with that issue.

baroness williams of trafford: The seasonal workers pilot is not designed to meet the full labour needs of the horticultural sector. Rather we are seeking to evaluate the immigration system’s ability to assist in alleviating labour shortages during peak production periods. The pilot will inform our long-term thinking in this area.

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in the event of a no-deal Brexit they intend to implement unilaterally the immigration element of the citizens' rights agreement reached with the EU in December 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: Having reached an agreement with the EU on citizens’ rights in December 2017, the Government remains confident that we will reach a wider agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.However, the Prime Minister has been clear that as a responsible Government we continue to prepare for a range of outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. Further information on the Government’s plans in the event of a no deal scenario will be published in the coming weeks.

Asylum: LGBT People

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that LGBT people seeking asylum, who have experienced torture and forms of violence that may be difficult to disclose, have access to legal representatives who are allowed time and capacity to obtain the requisite evidence.

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that women seeking asylum, who have experienced forms of violence which may be difficult to disclose, have access to legal representatives who are allowed the time and capacity to obtain the requisite evidence.

baroness williams of trafford: All asylum claimants have the opportunity to be legally represented during their asylum claim, and legal aid funding is provided to those who need it.In addition, Migrant Help is funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Home Office to provide independent advice and guidance to assist those considering seeking asylum and those that have claimed asylum to move through and understand the asylum process. Migrant Help also run an asylum helpline and provide advice in a language that the asylum seeker speaks, that is free and accessible to all asylum seekers. This includes support for claimants who are seeking legal advice.All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information, which covers country specific issues relating to torture, gender based harm, including female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual exploitation, violence in conflict, domestic violence and those subject to violence relating to LGBT persecution. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.

Visas: Doctors

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Office has received any representations from the (1) Department of Health and Social Care, or (2) Department for International Development, about extending the number of Tier 5 visas available for the Medical Training Initiative.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is in regular contact with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for International Development regarding all aspects of the UK immigration system.